https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one/igliverebeccawalker monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one/deeplyrooted monthly 0.5 2022-05-02 https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one/jambalaya monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one/healingthemotherwound monthly 0.5 2022-05-02 https://inourmothersgardens.com/events-one/iomganniversary monthly 0.5 2022-05-02 https://inourmothersgardens.com/home daily 0.75 2022-02-18 https://inourmothersgardens.com/new-home-1 daily 1.0 2022-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620505653292-C0V3VXMSB9ER0XQAPEFK/Erica+smiling+set.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620530117181-35VH1JD8G7AZX1E89OEJ/191596_10150169289734623_3953541_o.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620530538082-MRZAL28IP5LKOST8EU94/Shantrelle-Lewis-Netflix-Premiere.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/c6737db9-33e0-4482-9859-272dbf23e261/iomg-resource-guide.png Home - A Brief Introduction to African American Genealogy Research Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620530970563-SUN55C1OPPWZI3GK4ANO/In-Our-Mothers-Garden-Netflix.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://inourmothersgardens.com/press daily 0.75 2021-05-25 https://inourmothersgardens.com/the-crew daily 0.75 2022-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/0311cd74-835e-48f1-8a4d-cd64f48ca3ae/shantrelle-p-lewis.jpg The Crew - Shantrelle P. Lewis Director and Producer New Orleans native, Shantrelle P. Lewis, a United Nations Programme for People of African Descent Fellow, is a multi-hyphen creative and scholar who accesses multiple disciplines to help elucidate African Diasporic history, aesthetics, culture, and spirituality. Her directorial debut premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival in 2020 and won the Shine Award for Best Film from a Philadelphia-based filmmaker. Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style, her highly acclaimed first book, was published by Aperture in 2017. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, NPR, BBC, Washington Post, Slate, The New Yorker, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She co-founded SHOPPE BLACK with her husband and fellow Howard alum, Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson. Shantrelle is an initiated Lucumi Sango Priest. Also, a self-identifying Hoodooist, she can be found waxing poetics about all things African spirituality online at Beaucoup Hoodoo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/4801dcab-f923-4866-a0d8-0b8aee69ce28/JaSaun+%281%29.jpg The Crew - JaSaun Buckner Producer JaSaun Buckner is a visionary producer and media strategist specializing in content that conquers delicate social issues as a vehicle for inspiration, information and impact. She is an Emmy Nominated Writer and celebrates the achievements of a digital Emmy, Webby Awards, NAACP Image awards and Cynopsis Social Good awards. Creating her own version of the TV series A Different World JaSaun graduated from the illustrious Howard University, and holds a Masters Degree from USC. A 20 year career as a content executive and producer JaSaun has overseen innovative TV, Film and digital projects with brands including Viacom, OWN, Facebook and Spotify. JaSaun was a Co-Executive Producer for The Nod with Brittany & Eric a daily culture series on Quibi, and producer of the feature length documentary In Our Mother’s Gardens premiering on Netflix in May 2021. JaSaun is sought after for producing experimental films with fine artists. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/818895ee-cd4d-4ef4-a170-86ca51a77d6d/Joshua-E-Nelson-In-My-Mothers_Garden.jpg The Crew - Joshua E. Nelson Co-Producer Joshua E. Nelson is a multi-hyphenated storyteller with a deep passion for the legacy and future of black and brown people across the diaspora. In Northwest Philadelphia, “born and raised”, having majored in theater from its magnet Creative and Performing Arts High School, Joshua was awarded NBC 10's "Most Dedicated Student to the Arts" in 2006. Joshua decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts at the illustrious Howard University where he studied under the likes of Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad and Al Freeman. There he found himself writing, directing and producing projects for up to thousands of people while embodying different characters on the stage. A few of his credits soon after graduation are with the John F. Kennedy Center’s MFA Playwriting, Page2Stage and Young Director’s Festival in Washington D.C. His regional acting credits are with Discovery Theater, The Kennedy Center, African American Continuum Theater Company, Adventure Theater, Lincoln Theater, Wilma Theater, People’s Light & Theater and off-broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company which fast-tracked him to screentest for Hollywood films. This evolved him to gain behind the scenes experience with networks such as Nickelodeon, NBC, BET, ABC, NBA, VH1, LOGO and MTV to name a few. One of his most recent proud experiences was serving as a Dream Director within the Philadelphia School District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/2d9382aa-34cc-42e3-a271-a1e9b0b2b5e6/Hakim+%281%29.jpg The Crew - Hakim Pitts Associate Producer Hakim Pitts is a multi-award winning, Black genderqueer creative entrepreneur crafting at the nexus of visual culture, community development & wellness, social justice, & spiritual activism. Utilizing this interdisciplinary practice, their mission is two fold: to resource people, communities, and organizations with theoretical and pragmatic tools to create, sustain and manifest their best; and to use fine arts and media to (re)craft works that carefully explore notions of power, self made identity, ritual & embodiment, and formations of Black sociality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167048037-JSD29F8DWST92WP4H13G/NIQ-In-My-Mothers_Garden.JPG The Crew - Sheniqua "Niq" Lewis Editor Niq is an award-winning editor, visual storyteller and a true 80's baby. Her family moved from Brooklyn to Harlem in the early '90s, and it was there at the Schomburg library, reading the words of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, that she began to understand the power that came with telling our own stories as black people, unapologetically. Niq attended Long Island University and the Art Institute of NYC to study filmmaking and production and got her first break as a Casting Producer for reality tv for networks like FoxTV, Food Network, UPN, and NBC. She transitioned into post-production, working as an Editor at Vice media, garnering awards and nominations from Promax, the Clios, and the Shorty Awards. Her work for Vice has also received write-ups and reviews in Variety, Ad-Age, Rolling Stones, and Vogue, to name a few. Since 2019 Niq has worked independently, and on collaborative projects, to create short and long-form visuals that are centered in, champion, and celebrate the complexities of black and brown stories. In Our Mothers' Garden is her first feature documentary film and she's truly humbled by the opportunity to help bring these beautifully nuanced narratives to life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167165078-PG3GBIA5ACJWQ1ESQ39F/Shawn-Peters-In-My-Mothers_Garden.png The Crew - Shawn Peters Director of Photography Shawn Peters is a storyteller who has happened to have many careers and a long road in between stories. The many lives have included a stint in Corporate America, a Partnership in a thriving IT company, a partnership in a Record Label, a music festival founder and curator, finally he has landed where he intended to after graduate school, as a filmmaker and Director of photography. Shawn began his formal higher education at Morehouse College where he was an English Major along with studying Cinematography with the legendary Dr. Ikelberg. He went on the get a full scholarship at the University of South Carolina to pursue a MA in Media Arts and Photography. It’s a long story how Shawn left filmmaking in his 20s to go into business and how he returned in his 30s to pursue his original love. He started shooting music videos for artists like Pharoahe Monch, Blitz the Ambassador, Meshelle Williams, Bilal, Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo. He has worked on narrative features and shorts with Terence Nance, Sebastian Silva, Laura Colella, Raafi Rivero, and is about to lens the Netflix original feature Undergroud directed by Gerard McMurray. These films have premiered at Sundance, The Rotterdam International Film Festival. Berlin Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620169003222-B81ZIK4XZ2D7J1YFB0ZX/Sekiya-Dorsett-In-My-Mothers_Garden.png The Crew - Sekiya Dorsett Director of Photography GLAAD Award winning filmmaker, Sekiya Dorsett, is dedicated to telling the stories of women of color. Her award winning documentary “The Revival: Women and the Word,” is distributed by Women Make Movies. In 2020, her 4-part documentary, Stonewall 50: The Revolution, in partnership with NBC News and NBCOut, won a GLAAD Media Award and the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalist for Excellence in Digital Journalism. Dorsett's work has been featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, Urbanworld Film Festival and Outfest Film Festival to name a few. She is a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167378342-I7WX002R9K5R6G3NNAFU/Kirby-Griffin-In-My-Mothers_Garden.jpg The Crew - Kirby Griffin Additional Cinematographer Kirby Griffin is a cinematographer and street photographer from the West Baltimore area of Maryland. In 2014, Kirby would stumble across a production company by the name of sixpointpictures, headed by Jamar Jones, where he began to delve deeper into the industry. Here, he found a home amongst a handful of other fellow artists, who were all also self-taught, and from the same environment. Kirby has worked for networks such as BET, Revolt TV, and HBO. He went on to work with the same artist he studied rigorously, including Bradford Young, Shawn Peters, Malik Sayeed, Arthur Jafa, and Terence Nance, all by way of the amazing Elissa Blount Moorhead of TNEG. Despite knowing that Los Angeles is still considered home base of cinema, Kirby made a conscious decision to stay in Baltimore and tell the stories of people who would otherwise have their image exploited, or not recognized at all. Kirby is still a vital part of sixpointpictures as they continue growing and work to demystify filmmaking for those throughout Baltimore City who are not able to afford schooling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167414166-BVTOVYGAIJV7BJ70YILG/Willard-Hill-In-My-Mothers_Garden.jpeg The Crew - Willard Hill Score Willard Hill is a Recording Artist, Performer, Producer, and Film Composer. He is a graduate of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, and Howard University in Washington, DC. He’s worked in radio at Clear Channel and WHUR in Washington D.C., Quad Studios and Platinum Sound Studio in NYC, and BET Creative Services in New York and Los Angeles— where he is currently based. When he’s not working on new releases or a film project, he serves as Creative Director for Crescent City Creative, a Louisiana based non-profit organization that works to help local creatives on the world stage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620524871929-303YMONC1J6XAHCWR22K/Nelson-Nance-In-My-Mothers-Garden.jpeg The Crew - Nelson Nance Score Nelson Nance is a fearless artist who combines the courageous cacophony of the DaDa art movement with remnants of futurism and Funk. With more than 30 music projects released under his various monikers (Norvis Junior, Nelson Bandela, NancieOver9000, DJAYTECHNOMUSTARD, O’Della Basura, etc.) and a growing portfolio of engaging artwork, it is clear that he is a progressive and daring voice to watch. Over the course of his career, Nelson has diligently contributed as a producer, vocalist, arranger, writer and director to a wide array of prolific artistic endeavors from the likes of Bill T. Jones, Swarvy, Nappy Nina and Tony Allen. Recently he has contributed as a writer, director and composer on the critically acclaimed HBO series Random Acts of Flyness created by his brother Terence Nance. The show won a coveted Peabody Award upon the arrival of its first season and has been renewed for a second season where he will continue to be a part of its creation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167792064-JHFX9FQC7YI5H4TYWLZF/Safara-Wanjagi-In-My-Mothers_Garden.jpeg The Crew - Safara Wanjagi Animator and Collage Artist Safara Wanjagi is a digital collage artist from Nairobi, Kenya. She creates surrealist art pieces that are inspired by the creativity of traditional African cultures. In particular, she is drawn to styles of dress, hairstyles, and patterns that have been largely phased away from everyday life and into the halls of museums. Her aim through her work is to keep these aesthetics alive in the everyday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620167845838-M7BRMN5N1ZHSFG9WVEEB/Bouba-Dola-In-My-Mothers_Garden.jpg The Crew - Bouba Dola Animator Bouba Dola was born in 1985 in Kinshasa, Congo. He studied at HKU in Utrecht and is actually working as an artist in the Netherlands. His main artwork is digital art, such as drawings, music and videos. Currently, Bouba is working on his first cinematic work. https://inourmothersgardens.com/cast-appearances daily 0.75 2022-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1620692122424-8I3OXEJSWRKTOBSGD6TB/Shantrelle-P-Lewis.jpg Cast & Appearances - Shantrelle P. Lewis New Orleans native, Shantrelle P. Lewis, a United Nations Programme for People of African Descent Fellow, is a multi-hyphen creative and scholar who accesses multiple disciplines to help elucidate African Diasporic history, aesthetics, culture, and spirituality. Her directorial debut premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival in 2020 and won the Shine Award for Best Film from a Philadelphia-based filmmaker. Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style, her highly acclaimed first book, was published by Aperture in 2017. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, NPR, BBC, Washington Post, Slate, The New Yorker, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She co-founded SHOPPE BLACK with her husband and fellow Howard alum, Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson. Shantrelle is an initiated Lucumi Sango Priest. Also, a self-identifying Hoodooist, she can be found waxing poetics about all things African spirituality online at Beaucoup Hoodoo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621965142302-BYV2TTT5MFJGQGPGAJEM/Tarana-J-Burke.png Cast & Appearances - Tarana J. Burke Tarana J. Burke asserts that ‘me too.’ is more than just a moment in time. As the founder of this vital and growing movement, and as someone who has been organizing within issues facing Black women and girls for more than three decades, Tarana has a commitment and vision that is bigger than any hashtag or viral moment. Tarana is fueled by a commitment to the interruption of sexual violence and other systemic issues disproportionately impacting marginalized people — particularly Black women and girls. Tarana has created and led campaigns that have shone a spotlight on the harm perpetrated against communities of color. Specifically, Tarana’s work to end sexual violence has exposed the ugly truths of sexism, has spoken truth to power, has increased access to resources and support for survivors, and has paved the way forward for an expanding and inclusive movement. Tarana has used her platform to share her long-standing belief that healing is not a destination, but a journey. This philosophy has inspired millions of survivors who previously had to live in isolation to deal with the pain, shame, and trauma of their experience. Tarana’s steadfast commitment to the cause has led to numerous accolades including 2017 TIME Person of the Year, and the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize, among many other honors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621965169386-JXPUC76QSGWR11X2HJ33/Brittney-Cooper-IOMG.jpg Cast & Appearances - Brittney Cooper Brittney Cooper spends her days in conversation with college students about everything from feminism to hip hop. During her other waking hours, she uses digital platforms and blogging as a virtual classroom to incite her national readership to have more robust and honest conversations about racism, popular culture and how to take down the patriarchy. She is an Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. Cooper's work and words have appeared on MSNBC, BET, NPR, PBS, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, New York Magazine, Salon.com, The Root.com and Al Jazeera America, among many others. She is a regular contributor at Cosmpolitan.com and co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective and blog. Cooper is author of two forthcoming books, Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women (University of Illinois Press 2017) and Never Scared: One Black Feminist's Refusal to Bow Down, Back Up, or Give In (St. Martin’s Press 2017) and editor of one co-edited volume, The Crunk Feminist Collection (The Feminist Press 2017). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/e8e8191c-d000-418d-b28b-bdce6e091955/Dr.+Marta+Moreno+Vega+2.jpg Cast & Appearances - Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega established the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) (http://cccadi.org/) in 1976, inspired by a vision to create an international organization to promote and link communities of African descent. She guided the capital campaign for the renovation of the landmark firehouse at 120 East 125th Street, the Center’s new home. Dr. Moreno Vega has been an advocate for cultural equity cultural studies and education. As the second director of El Museo del Barrio, one of the founders of the Association of Hispanic Arts, Network of Centers of Color and the Roundtable of Institutions of Color. Dr. Moreno Vega has contributed to assuring that the contributions of African and African descendants are integral to the lives of civil society in the Americas. She has conducted research in Yoruba belief systems in the African Diaspora and has organized international conferences uniting scholars and leading traditional experts focused on expanding the knowledge and importance of sacred African Diaspora traditions. Moreno Vega is co-founder of the Global Afro Latino and Caribbean Initiative (GALCI), a former program of Hunter College/Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. She is chief editor of Women Warriors of the Afro-Latina Diaspora (Arte Publico Press) and author of The Altar of My Soul (One World/Ballantine, 2001). She is director and co-producer of the documentary When the Spirits Dance Mambo: Growing Up Nuyorican in El Barrio and has written a personal memoir by the same name (Three Rivers Press, 2003, Black Classic Press, 2018). Dr. Vega is also co-editor of Voices from the Battlefront Achieving Cultural Equity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621965999320-EE1XB86R29IRNYXVH3SQ/Latham-Thomas.jpg Cast & Appearances - Latham Thomas After giving birth to her son Fulano in 2003, Latham Thomas set out on a mission to help women reclaim birth. A graduate of Columbia University & The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Latham is a maternity lifestyle maven, world renown wellness leader and master birth doula on the vanguard of transforming the wellness movement. Named one of Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul 100, Latham is bridging the gap between optimal wellness, spiritual growth, and radical self care and is the go-to-guru for modern holistic lifestyle for women. She authored the bestselling book titled, “Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to a Fabulous and Abundant Pregnancy”, foreword by Dr. Christiane Northrup in 2012 and most recently published bestseller OWN YOUR GLOW: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living and Crowning the Queen Within. Latham serves on the TUFTS University Nutrition Council and is also a member of the Well + Good Council where she provides expertise in women's wellness, pregnancy and self-care. In March of 2018, Latham released the meditation audio program, BEDITATIONS: Guided Meditations and Rituals for Rest and Renewal. She teaches at universities and teaching hospitals around the country, helping to improve the patient labor and delivery experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966011992-TH2CWHF56CO0BQODI3MK/Tina-Farris-IOMG.jpg Cast & Appearances - Tina Farris Tina Farris has spent the last two decades as tour manager for legends including the Roots, Chris Rock, Nicki Minaj, and Queen Latifah. Her career highlights include overseeing Lil Wayne’s America's Most Wanted tour; guiding the Black Eyed Peas through 15 countries, 76 cities and 99 sold-out shows to gross more than $86 million; and producing and managing Chris Rock’s Total Blackout Tour. Farris—a California native, bass player, and UCLA alumna—began her career as a high school teacher but switched gears to bet on herself and her first love, music, by accepting an offer to tour manage her favorite band, the Roots. She soon maturated into a go-to logistics and production ace for the Roots crew, several of the band’s collaborators (Jill Scott, Common, and Pharrell) and, subsequently, some of the world’s premier events (the Super Bowl, World Cup, and NBA All-Star Game). Farris has spent 20 years amassing a diverse clientele that includes D’Angelo, Maxwell, Lauryn Hill, the Internet, Syd, and Steve Lacy. As a woman who’s found success in a male-dominated industry, she is dedicated to empowering other women through Decades, her mentorship conference for women of all backgrounds and orientations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1622331229769-S4X4JC3U9GXEIHL0BKIR/in-my-mothers-garden.png Cast & Appearances - Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames is the Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University. As an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, she served as a local pastor in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for nine years before joining the ORL team in 2016. Dean Thames is a graduate of Howard University, Duke University Divinity School and Wesley Theological Seminary. She is passionate about the intersections of theology, gender, organizational development, and social justice. She is a challenging preacher, thoughtful theologian, and devoted friend. Dean Thames is a lover of life and music who prioritizes self-care and believes that radical joy is resistance. She is involved with the Princeton community through student engagement, pastoral care, overseeing religious programs, and regularly preaching at the University Chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966090968-621F0KLX082XH6CNRIL9/Adama%2BDelphine%2BFawundu.jpg Cast & Appearances - Adama Delphine Fawundu Adama Delphine Fawundu is a photographer and visual artist born in Brooklyn, NY to parents from Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, West Africa. “Adama Delphine Fawundu’s work is about finding ways to connect with her kin – a group not merely confined to those who share a direct common ancestor but an expansive definition inclusive of the many who descend from the dispersed, the stolen, those for whom the violence, and opportunity wrought by the sea is at once a spectre and a fact of everyday life,” writes scholar Niama Safia Sandy. With over fifteen years experience working as a photographer, Fawundu enhanced her studio practice and completed her MFA in Visual Arts from Columbia University in 2018. She now uses photography, printmaking, video, sound and assemblage as an artistic language. Fawundu co-founded and independently published the sold-out book MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. The critically acclaimed book MFON led Fawundu on a book tour which included talks at The Tate Modern, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Harvard University amongst many other institutions. Ms. Fawundu’s works have been reviewed in publications and media outlets such as Time Magazine, The New York Times, Leica Fotografie International, Vogue Online, The Washington Post, Dazed Digital, Arise TV, and the BBC World. Ms. Fawundu’s works can be found in the private and public collections such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Historical Society, and The Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966128735-FORRJ9NMXQAA20OX7W12/Erica-Sewell-IOMG.jpg Cast & Appearances - Erica Sewell Erica Sewell is a Talent Leader and Founder of creative consultancy, Escape Artist. Her experience started in the global fashion industry, from working as Head Designer of Isaac Mizrahi’s Target line, to leading programs at The Cape Town Fashion Council, including Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in South Africa. Her design work also included labels such as Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren, and she’s been in the administration of higher education institutions such as Parsons The New School for Design, The Art Institute, and FIT, where she coached students and career changers on attaining creative opportunities and negotiating. Sewell currently leads inclusion talent acquisition efforts for Netflix’s Outreach & Engagement team, where she focuses on engaging underrepresented creatives across writing, art, and story for film, series, and animation. Prior to Netflix, she recruited and developed creative talent for CBS Interactive’s portfolio of 30+ digital brands across multiple lifestyle categories, and did the same for Williams-Sonoma Inc., Ann Taylor/ LOFT, and Adecco Creative. Other notable projects include founding the book deal-turned-career-development program, CreativeTypes, as well as creative consulting for artists/filmmakers, Bradford Young and Leslie Hewitt on Untitled Structures. Sewell holds an MA from The New School for Social Research, a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and research credits from the Democracy and Diversity Institute for Graduate Studies at the University of Cape Town. Her work and collaborations have been featured in Elle South Africa, Vogue Magazine, The New York Times, and ArtForum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966157396-ITDMVWW4R5BXTGI1TEDI/Desiree-Gordon-IOMG.jpeg Cast & Appearances - Desiree Gordon Healer, Creative, Strategist - Desiree Gordon uses heart-centeredness to build capacities, communities, and courage. She is the Founder of Create Anew Now, the Director of Programs and Strategy at Brooklyn Arts Council, the Programs Editor for Small Axe Visualities, and Mother of Ishara and Morenike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966247311-ZK8M3Z79AVUCA6LC3C3B/Yolanda-Sengweni.jpeg Cast & Appearances - Yolanda Sengweni Born to a South African freedom fighter mother, who fled from the apartheid regime to the United States when Sangweni was a small child and lived in Harlem during her formative years, she is Senior Editor at ESSENCE.com, one of the leading publications for Black women in the United States. Sangweni is also co-founder of AfriPOP!, an online magazine focusing on contemporary African youth culture, music, fashion and film from an Afropolitan perspective. Sangweni worked as a Features editor at TRACE Magazine and contributing writer for “O: The Oprah Magazine” (South Africa), Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Arise Magazine, and Time Out New York covering music, fashion and culture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/417a0568-eb3a-40ca-bfdd-85758f457ea8/MamaKoko_Nov092021_-4650.jpg Cast & Appearances - Dr. Kokahvah Zauditu-Selassie Dr. Kokahvah Zauditu-Selassie, a priest of Obatala in the Lukumi/Yoruba tradition, currently teaches at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. . Formerly an Associate Professor and Chair of the African World Studies and History Department at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, she earned a B.A. degree in Speech Communication from California State University, Fullerton, the M.S. degree in Reading from Morgan State University, and the Doctor of Arts in the Humanities with a concentration in English from Clark Atlanta University. She has been a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, National Council for Black Studies fellow at the University of Ghana, Legon, a Fulbright Fellow in Cairo, Egypt, a New York University Scholar-In Residence, A Mellon Fellow at the Goree Institute in Dakar, Senegal, and a Fulbright scholar in the Republic of South Africa. Dr. Zauditu-Selassie has lived, studied, and traveled extensively in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Her teaching specialization is African American literature while her research focuses on African spiritual culture. https://inourmothersgardens.com/behind-the-scenes daily 0.75 2022-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/3dbf7e4b-428f-4e06-8044-0e152787c0e0/Rashida+Portrait.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/a87dfd90-b9b8-47c5-9d86-6507aec5c361/Director+BTS.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/4ccac8db-7690-4e70-be78-adc830a7d4b7/Marta+Main+Portrait.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/412132f0-e088-4d94-a95d-808a9cfff52a/Hadiya+makeup+BTS.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/3e8b8ded-4ea7-4c70-aa81-24d10fac2842/Erica.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/55d662e1-4305-44cb-9b53-609f802ad76a/Delphine+and+Mama+set.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/15b08f3c-a2e3-4ebd-880e-0b5f55cdfeda/Friends+pose+smiles.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/04a0dd95-0bc4-42e8-8691-9271dbc54b99/Director+BTS2.jpg Behind The Scenes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/be3fac06-bbfb-48f9-be99-29e3fb5d53d6/Marta+set.jpg Behind The Scenes https://inourmothersgardens.com/resources daily 0.75 2024-05-02 https://inourmothersgardens.com/executive-producers daily 0.75 2022-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/49fc85e2-99e9-4846-a6da-c6b24aa42251/jill-scott-1.jpg Executive Producers - Jill Scott Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actor are only a few titles held by Jill Scott. Before having the #1 album in the country with "The Light of The Sun", performing at The White House, being named People Magazine's Top TV Breakout Star of 2010 and appearing on VH1 Divas alongside Aretha Franklin, the triple threat began her career collaborating with musical icons, The Roots, Will Smith, and Common in the late 90s. In 2000, she released her much anticipated debut record, Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, a double platinum album that earned Scott several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3 which garnered two more Grammy Awards and spawned multiple worldwide tours. Never limited to music, Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. Jill was also casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. In 2017, Jill Scott was casted as "Nayyirah Shariff" in the original Lifetime film Flint, a drama based on the Flint water crisis in Flint, Michigan - also starring Betsy Brandy, Marin Ireland and Queen Latifah. A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees. In January of 2017, Jill Scott marked her brand's expansion into stationary, releasing an exclusive "Jill Scott" greeting card collection in partnership with Hallmark Mahogany. Jill Scott received a 2017 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" category for her single, "Can't Wait." Her hit podcast, Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast premiered in 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/c3952e61-4616-472b-bac3-1eda9d06c0d7/tayib1.jpg Executive Producers - Tayyib Smith Tayyib Smith is Principle of Meta Global, parent company to Little Giant Creative. He is dedicated to cultural competency and the ability to engage multicultural audiences. He co-founded Pipeline Philly to serve as an inviting and dynamic co-working space filled with professionals from various backgrounds and industries, creating one of the most diverse workspaces in the city. Tayyib is also a partner S&R Holdings, a real estate company that engages and invites diverse stakeholders of neighborhoods to become part of a growing, multicultural and multi-socioeconomic tapestry. Tayyib has long been a successful conduit of professional and cultural ecosystems. He is a fellow of the Place Lab Ethical Redevelopment Salon at the University of Chicago and sits on the boards of the Kensington Corridor Trust, Prizm Art Fair in Miami, Memphis Slim House, and Black Star Film Festival. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/be1ce82a-8ed5-4d67-8d87-229e98395937/Layne_Headshot_1.jpeg Executive Producers - Layne Eskridge Layne is President of POV Entertainment, the newly formed television and film company focused on telling culturally specific universally themed stories. Prior to starting POV Entertainment, Layne was a trusted creative executive at Apple TV+ and Netflix where she oversaw production of Ozark, She's Gotta Have It, Seven Seconds, Dead to Me, When They See Us, Top Boy, Messiah and Self Made (Madam CJ Walker limited series) and several upcoming Apple originals. Before working at Netflix, Layne was an executive at Ellen DeGeneres’ company where she was responsible for developing scripted projects for both broadcast and cable television such as One Big Happy, Little Big Shots and the Netflix original series Green Eggs and Ham. Layne was also a vital member of the Universal Cable Productions programming team where she oversaw series development for John Legend 's Get Lifted Film Co., in addition to helping to identify scripted projects for cable networks such as Bravo and E!. Layne has been featured in Variety Magazine's New Leadership Edition as one to watch in Hollywood and has been honored by several organizations dedicated to the advancement of women such as Girls Inc. and Girls with Gifts. She served as a board member of Colour TV, an organization for diverse executives in television that aims to increase the number of minority content creators in Hollywood, and is currently a Time’s Up “Who’s in the Room” mentor. Layne has a master's degree in Cinema Studies from New York University and a BA in Telecommunications Management from Howard University in Washington, DC. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/2685e5ae-3168-4747-b28f-940e5b9ea15f/SBM_12.19.2018-619_r_lo-res-1-e1636553717103-1500x1500.jpg Executive Producers - Rakia Reynolds One of the most sought-after minds in strategic communications, Rakia Reynolds is a thought leader, taste maker and branding expert who advises name brands on creative strategy. Her guiding principles as an intriguing storyteller focus on distilling equity in messaging, and her ability to navigate the ever-increasing complex cultural and social media landscapes are only some of the reasons Rakia has successfully created her own distinct brand of authenticity and expertise for over 15 years. Rakia has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the 27 Business Leaders Aiming to Change the World, was listed as one of the 25 Most Socially Influential Tastemakers on Dell’s “Inspire 100” list, and recently was also profiled by Forbes on their “Next 1000” list. Rakia serves as Founder and Executive Officer of Skai Blue Media (SBM), a non-traditional communications agency that proudly hosts an eclectic group of storytellers, brand experts, and strategists. Rakia continues to be a key influencer in the creative business industry as she works with her team to launch, brand, re-brand, and revitalize lifestyle, technology, non-profit and entrepreneurial clients. This list includes Airbnb, Comcast, Dell, Serena Williams, Morgan Stanley, Jill Scott, and more. Rakia’s portfolio includes #FanofYourBrand(tactical business tools), clothing brand EVRYDAY Jane, and an ethical intelligence platform set to launch in 2021. As a thought leader and proven authority in marketing, creative strategy and business development Rakia regularly contributes her expertise to the pages of Forbes, Inc.com, HuffPost, Fast Company, and more. Onstage, she captivates audiences across many industries as her talks span branding, media, multicultural business, economic development, and the entrepreneurial journey, all of which are more than relevant to the recent challenging and changing times. Rakia is recognized for her innovative approach and commitment to authenticity and has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, Inbound, and others. More than a keynote speaker, Rakia is often called upon to moderate panel discussions due her in-depth knowledge of a wide range of topics affecting the business community. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/e39b2c41-7ee1-43ef-8945-fffdb0383dac/24814346758_fd269cab0d_b.jpg Executive Producers - Monifa Bandele Monifa Bandele has more than a decade of experience in policy analysis, communications, civic engagement organizing, and project management working with groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund, and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. At MomsRising.org she managed the health kids and maternal justice campaigns, helping to successfully increase children's access to healthy food, stem junk food marketing, and end the school-to-prison pipeline. Through maternal justice, she is working to end the rising tide of maternal mortality in the United States. During her tenure at the Brennan Center as national field director for the Right to Vote Campaign, the coalition successfully change laws in five state expanding the franchise to more that 250,000 formerly incarcerated people. Finally, Monifa sits on the steering committee for Communities United for Police Reform and is an activist with the Black Lives Matter Movement. She helped launch two successful legal cases against police misconduct (Daniels v NYC and Floyd v NYC); conducted Know Your Right workshops for thousands of community members; and worked to pass landmark police reform legislation in New York City (Community Safety Act 2013). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/e6aba658-e939-4bd4-9a97-8b31b1c9a08b/gettyimages-1078349180-2048x2048.jpg Executive Producers - Amatus Sami Karim Amatus Sami-Ali is an award-winning producer, musician, and actress. Her recent projects include We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (2020), The Homecoming Queen (2018), and The Last Two Lovers at the End of the World (2017). Amatus did the sound design for the Obie winning play Sunset Baby (2012) at the Labyrinth Theater and continues to create collaboratively as a multi-disciplinary artist for stage and screen. Most recently she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2018 for her work as a composer and sound designer of The Homecoming Queen for the Atlantic Theatre and received an Emmy as an Executive Producer of We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest for HBO. An NYU Tisch School of the Arts Alum, Sami-Karim co-founded KnowWonder Films with husband Marhershala Ali, with the vision of giving a platform to untold stories and emerging storytellers that live under the radar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/42cedcc8-3efa-41d7-90b4-76604d1e235d/image-2-1.png Executive Producers - Sandra L. Richards Sandra L. Richards leads Morgan Stanley’s Global Sports and Entertainment Business. Prior to her current role, Sandra served as a managing director of Morgan Stanley and head of business development and segment marketing in wealth management. Since joining Morgan Stanley in 2007, Sandra has worked with internal and external partners to support the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Previously, she was the Development Officer, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the Jackie Robinson Foundation. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seton Hall University and is a graduate of the Rutgers University/United Way of Essex and West Hudson County Project Leadership and the National Forum for Black Public Administrator’s Young Leaders Programs. Sandra is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and serves on the Board of Directors for the Soledad O’Brien and Brad Raymond Foundation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/6301b12e-33c4-4ee7-a064-4620ba299055/kith-sharifa-murdock-chief-people.jpg Executive Producers - Sharifa Murdock For entrepreneur, fashion expert, and philanthropist Sharifa Murdock, giving back to the community is inherent. With over 20 years of fashion and live event expertise, Murdock uses her acquired knowledge and benevolence to help the next generation of young aspiring creatives. She says, “I know what motivates me. I'm a young girl from Brooklyn, born and raised. Someone gave me an opportunity years ago, and I vowed to myself – just looking at the industry that I came up in and seeing how companies move – that I will try to pay it forward to any young girl or guy coming up. So, I will try to help as much as I can.” As Chief of People and Culture of fashion label Kith, Murdock spearheads the brand’s diversity and social impact initiatives, including establishing The Kin Foundation. The forthcoming initiative leverages Kith’s ubiquitous presence in the service of underprivileged youth. Sam Ben-Avraham is Murdock’s mentor and joint business partner with the owner of Kith, Ronnie Fieg. Ben-Avraham knew part of Murdock’s passion was philanthropy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60529b6ce77e6d3255ac3da1/1621966128735-FORRJ9NMXQAA20OX7W12/Erica-Sewell-IOMG.jpg Executive Producers - Erica Sewell Erica Sewell is a Talent Leader and Founder of creative consultancy, Escape Artist. Her experience started in the global fashion industry, from working as Head Designer of Isaac Mizrahi’s Target line, to leading programs at The Cape Town Fashion Council, including Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in South Africa. Her design work also included labels such as Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren, and she’s been in the administration of higher education institutions such as Parsons The New School for Design, The Art Institute, and FIT, where she coached students and career changers on attaining creative opportunities and negotiating. Sewell currently leads inclusion talent acquisition efforts for Netflix’s Outreach & Engagement team, where she focuses on engaging underrepresented creatives across writing, art, and story for film, series, and animation. Prior to Netflix, she recruited and developed creative talent for CBS Interactive’s portfolio of 30+ digital brands across multiple lifestyle categories, and did the same for Williams-Sonoma Inc., Ann Taylor/ LOFT, and Adecco Creative. Other notable projects include founding the book deal-turned-career-development program, CreativeTypes, as well as creative consulting for artists/filmmakers, Bradford Young and Leslie Hewitt on Untitled Structures. Sewell holds an MA from The New School for Social Research, a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and research credits from the Democracy and Diversity Institute for Graduate Studies at the University of Cape Town. 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